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Phoenix’s Miniature Tigers may possess one of the most fitting band names in the history of band names. While the Tigers’ infectious, classic pop sound may come off as gentle, even as adorable as miniatures to their female fanbase, frontman Charlie Brand’s lyrics certainly have the bite of their vicious feline namesake. This juxtaposition, however, is what makes Tell It to the Volcano, their full length debut, a captivating listen that will take hold of listeners’ iTunes playlist for extended periods of time. Not since Pinkerton has adolescent romantic anxiety sounded so tuneful and so utterly irresistible. In fact, “Cannibal Queen” may be the romantic song in existence to include the idea of feasting on human flesh in its title. Brand’s penchant for bright, arresting melodies is on full display here, their sweetness tempered by the subtle sonic curveballs the band throws into the arrangements. Aside from the bread-and-butter combo of a tight rhythm section and jangly guitars, the Tigers include analog soft synths, distant slide guitars, and multi-layered sing-along chants as part of their arsenal of musical weapons. “Dino Damage” is driven by a galloping tom-tom rhythm, while “Tchaikovsky & Solitude” features a vaguely tropical backbeat and soaring strings which may or may not from a keyboard. Tell It to the Volcano is a triumph, evidence that pop music can sound familiar, foreign, enjoyable, uncomfortable, and altogether exciting at once. - URB Magazine
Discography
White Magic E.P.
Black Magic E.P.
Tell It To The Volcano
Photos
Bio
Miniature Tigers sound was forged in the bedroom of frontman Charlie Brand, only to quickly outgrow the space, with the band soon finding itself on stage, in the studio and signed to Phoenixs Modern Art Records in short order. Brands lyrics a mix of deeply personal insights and playful references to the disparate cultural artifacts that have informed his existence and effortlessly constructed indie-pop arrangements have made fans in his native Phoenix and beyond. They stretch to Los Angeles, where he reconnected with drummer, collaborator and fellow charter member of the band Rick Schaier while living in Hollywood, and far beyond thanks to the Internet, which it seems people are into these days.
Miniature Tigers debut album Tell it to the Volcano runs the lyrical gamut, taking inspiration from and referencing TVs Lost (which rates a Dharma Initiative sticker on Brands acoustic) as easily as it probes the joy and heartbreak of Charlies own life, while managing not to take itself too seriously. Brand wrote the album while on the lam not from the law, but rather from a relationship he described as brutal. He left Phoenix to clear his head, landing in Los Angeles and collaborating with his friend Rick to complete the long-gestating album. It was his catharsis with cannibals and volcanoes stepping in for the real-world problems that had both beset and inspired him. In the end the album represents Charlies effort to codify, examine, and ultimately move past a 2-year stretch of his life.
Charlie and Rick are joined in their live incarnation by friends and collaborators Lou Kummerer on bass and Lawrence Hearn on lead guitar and keyboards, for performances that seem to give equal time to playing songs and intra-band joking. They aim for a controlled chaos aesthetic that eschews auto-pilot at all costs.
In an effort to further confound the expectations of those around the band, they chose to have their video directed by someone who had never helmed one before or at least never an authorized music video. The band tapped Yacht Rock creator JD Ryznar to direct their video for Cannibal Queen in the hopes he would recreate the magic of his wildly popular Internet video series. Ryznar quickly assimilated the bands aesthetic and turned in a video equal parts Weird Science and Frankenstein, to the bands delight.
Tell it to the Volcano is currently available on iTunes, as well as a limited-edition letterpressed CD package and on vinyl at shows and via the bands web site. Theyll be touring through the winter of 2009, when the album will find its way to stores through an official retail release.
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